Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-13
IS "OUIDh" IMMORAL?
Ella Wheeler Discusses the Famous
Noyelist's Works The Effect of
0uida's Writings.
Ideal and Real AdyentuTesses-Dan-
gerous Ideas That Should Net Be
Practiced-Wherein Lies the
linn orality of e'Ouida's' BoOBs-The Friv-
ol0us and Bsss In Modern Society.
sfOuida" q NJ sster y orRman.
copyrighted, 1887


n the August NUMBER of Lippiucot's |
Magazine Mr.. Edgar FAwcett published
an admirable article entitled "The Truth !
About Ouids." It contained the follow
ing sentences:
"The decried immortality of Ouida l
have never been st all able to perceive.
While revealing what she believes to be
low and contemplate in society Of to-day,
she employs merely the weapons JuVenaI
made use OF. She is never sympathetic with
wrong doing. She lays bare alike the SEN
susl and the sordid aim, but how cor
daily she seems TO detest each mauvais
sujet she describes
While all this is strictly true, l differ
from Mr. Fawcett, in being able to per-
ceive and fully CO rprehend the precise
kind of immoral eff sct produced upon the
unreasonable mind By "Ouida's" novels.
No where in any of her books, so far as
can recall them, is she guilty Of descTib-
ing with undue warmth or unnecessary
detail any smorous scene or emotion.
She does not sweep US into 6ny mael-
strom of furious passion with whirlwind
Of sublime words, like Gsutier or Swim
burne. She does not initiate us into the
unique vices Of the utterly depraved, like
lola or Daudet. Sac does not charm as
against our will 10 the relation CT unlaW-
full smours, like C1lzsc.
But<Wfth all the strength OF her Won
derful brain, and with the persistency OF
g determined purpose, she sends her
bullets of wit and sarcasm piercing
through the highest ideals and the noblest
impulses of human nature; while she
paints with false colors a halo which
never existed about the shallow and the
insincere.
/ read "Strathmore' during an un-
formed and romantic period OF my life.
"Lsdy Vsvasour' was described as be-
ing-like so many of "0uidR's" heroines
-sn extremely refined, thoroughly charm
ing, and irresistible creature, WOTshipped
and sought sitter, beloved and respected
up to the very climax of her adventurous
and wicked career.
l do not think my natural impulses are
exceptionally vicious or immoral, yet l
must confess that the whole career Of
Lady Vsv6sour, as depicted in "Strath-
MORE" was wonderfully fascinating to
me. It left glamour and an influence
which was long in being dispeiled. As
look upon the character now Il realize
that Il was miserablY untrue to life.
3 mistress Of many men who mss
queraded as the wife of one-and revelled
in al N manner of delight and success until
her final downfall.
Siuce resd the book, have come TO
know in detail the careers of three adYeL-
turesses in real life. Each had-ard per-
haps still has measure Of success in
deceiviug respectable people. in being
received into pure homes, in winning
.tavors ard admiration from Influential
mes. But ia all these cases they lived in
terror CT detection and in fever of IN
rest with their own unhappy hearts. In
each case the womau's name was used
lightly by men who, If they pitied her too
much TO expose, despised her accordingly.
In each case there were clean eouIed
women who suspected and avoided her.
There are no fiowery paths of unslloyed
delight for Lady Vkvzsours out Of Ouida's
novels
Even more ridiculously untrue to life,
and more subtly poisonous to the young
mind, is OlidA's delineation Of the impos-
sible character of "Princess Naprsxtne"
and Countess OthmSr." This woman
figures as the heroine of two long TO-
mances.
she was, according to Ouids's descrip-
ton, sorcerees whom all men adored, s
married coQuette with bit slions OF low
ers, who fought over and died for her;
yet she retained the worshippIng love and
respect Of both her husbands, bore spot
less reputation to the end, where we
leave her with her last devoted and dotiDg
spouse.
Certainly sn attractive character and
career to the romantic, poWer-loVlng girl
of the day!
But outside of Ouida's works the mar.
ried lirt with retinue Of lovers who
fight duels for her favors is scandslZed
By society, her name is spoken sneeringly
by men about town, and the husband
whose pride and selt-respect is trampled
upon usually ends the matter by seeking
divorce.
Over and over in ali her novels Ouida
gives utterance TO sentiments ike this
from the lips of Countess 0thmar, as she
muses. about her husband:
''It is no good for him to be Jealous
and irritated. It keeps his admiration
snd affection alive. II man be not
made Jealous by his wife, he drifts into
Indifference"
There was never worse philosophy Of
fered to the world than this. Never were
more erroneous and untruthful precept'
sent forth to poison ignorant young
minds.
Nothing could be more destructive K
happiness than for man or woman to i'm
bibe these ideas and attempt to practice
them. The affection which must be KEEP
aliTe by jealousy is not worth the effort
The husband who is only interested wher
he is irritated Is but q blank in the lot
terry of marriage.
ANY man who is as tender, noble heart
Cd and true as Count Othmsr was de-
scribed would grow to despise the shall
low woman who kept him ''irritated snC
Jealous" That sort of breeze may serve
10 fan the flames of courtship, but it in
variably extinguishes the fires Of coDJu
gal love, and leaves only the blackenet
embers Of disgust and the pale ashes o
persisted pride.
It is this low ideal of love and marriage
this false halo which she throws about tn
career of an adventures, the triumph O
I'M ustice and emptiness over justice Gnt
worth, which constitutes the immoralit
Of OsSiiSS.. works, te my thinking.
invariably close her books with be
Titled estimate of human nature and
sense of evaporation toward the Who'll
universe. In her novels 1t is the shallow
immoral, insincere and unworthy womel
who alwsys win the prizes and pleasure
of life. II she Furnishes and anmask
them al the end, it is not until they hsv
enjoyed a long csreer OF success, ur
msrrea nv disaster